Online Tournament 1 of 4: pwn play

Recently completed round 2 of the chess.com tournament, "Finish by 2012?" I tied for first/second in my bracket (drawing my closest opponent both games) in round 1 to advance to round 2, so I was eager to earn my place at the top of the second round bracket. One of the four competitors in this round timed out in all of his or her games. That left me with four games to play, and a bit of an axe to grind.

The first game was settled mainly on tactical play, which resolved in a won endgame for me. I had the white piece against a weaker opponent but knew I needed to be on mu guard, as I've had several poor showings against lower-rated players of late. (A ranking is an expression of trends, not a teller of fate.)

Overall, I was happy with this game. I did not play immaculately, but I took advantage of the opportunities my opponent provided me and dictated much of our play. I was off to a good start but had three more games in my bracket. It was time for a few pages of "Bobby Fischer: Profile of a Prodigy" and a much needed beer...